vomiting?

[Squalliesmom]

My cat has started vomiting, once each day for the past three days. Other than that, he seems fine, eating, drinking, coat's good and eyes are bright. He vomited tonight in the middle of eating, none of the hacking they do, just vomited, right in his food dish! Is this likely to be diabetes-related?

Just checked his breath, doesn't smell fruity, just fishy cat breath. Also doesn't seem dehydrated.

 

[BJM]

That sounds more like regurgitation than vomiting - like it came back up effortlessly.
When was the last time he had a bowel movement?
Have you changed food in the last 3 days?

 

[Squalliesmom]

That sounds more like regurgitation than vomiting - like it came back up effortlessly.
When was the last time he had a bowel movement?
Have you changed food in the last 3 days?

I haven't changed food in over a week. It's hard to tell who leaves what in the litter boxes as there are four kitties here, unless you can catch them in action, so I can't swear he's had a bowel movement. His stomach doesn't seem distended or tender to touch.

 

[Squalliesmom]

I haven't changed food in over a week. It's hard to tell who leaves what in the litter boxes as there are four kitties here, unless you can catch them in action, so I can't swear he's had a bowel movement. His stomach doesn't seem distended or tender to touch.

We have had a lot of stressors in the house over the past four to five days: new kitty, construction, people (strangers to Squallie) coming and going, and trips to the vet. Maybe that has something to do with it? Obviously, my greatest fears are problems with his insulin, or ketones.

 

[BJM]

Have you urine ketone test strips? Cats often eliminate within about 15-20 minutes after eating.

The spreadsheet you have linked has no test entries.

 

[Squalliesmom]

Have you urine ketone test strips? Cats often eliminate within about 15-20 minutes after eating.

The spreadsheet you have linked has no test entries.

I do have them, I've only used them once because it's the only time I caught him in the act, so to speak. Could his vomiting/regurgitation be from ketoacidosis? I can try to isolate him so I know the only urine in the box is his.

 

[Squalliesmom]

Okay, I finally caught Squallie urinating and tested for ketones, thankfully it was a solid negative. He did throw up a very small amount of yellowish/brownish/orangey liquid this morning before breakfast. He ate with a good appetite ten minutes later. Also good on bowel movements. When I tested him this moning his BG was down to 268, hurray! But now I'm concerned about giving him six units of insulin, it seems like a lot if his BG is that low. Can anyone give me some guidance?

 

[BJM]

I can't see any numbers on your spreadsheet. Are you recording them?
I hope you gave a reduced dose.

 

[Squalliesmom]

I can't see any numbers on your spreadsheet. Are you recording them?
I hope you gave a reduced dose.

Yes, I did give a reduced dose. I thought I was recording numbers in my spreadsheet, I must be doing something wrong. I had trouble understanding how to link it, so I may not have done it properly.

 

[BJM]

You must have the wrong spreadsheet in your link, as no numbers show up on it. Click on that link yourself if you'd like to see.
To fix this:
Log in to Google Drive.
Locate your spreadsheet.
Click on it to open it.
In the spreadsheet, click File, Publish to the Web. Also click File, Share. When you share it, a box will display asking you with whom you want to share it and how. You want to share it with anyone who has the link, so they can View it.
Copy the link which is displayed.
Come back over to the message board to edit your signature and paste this new link in your signature.

 

[Squalliesmom]

You must have the wrong spreadsheet in your link, as no numbers show up on it. Click on that link yourself if you'd like to see.
To fix this:
Log in to Google Drive.
Locate your spreadsheet.
Click on it to open it.
In the spreadsheet, click File, Publish to the Web. Also click File, Share. When you share it, a box will display asking you with whom you want to share it and how. You want to share it with anyone who has the link, so they can View it.
Copy the link which is displayed.
Come back over to the message board to edit your signature and paste this new link in your signature.

Thank you! I will do this! Hope I get it right this time.

 

[Squalliesmom]

You must have the wrong spreadsheet in your link, as no numbers show up on it. Click on that link yourself if you'd like to see.
To fix this:
Log in to Google Drive.
Locate your spreadsheet.
Click on it to open it.
In the spreadsheet, click File, Publish to the Web. Also click File, Share. When you share it, a box will display asking you with whom you want to share it and how. You want to share it with anyone who has the link, so they can View it.
Copy the link which is displayed.
Come back over to the message board to edit your signature and paste this new link in your signature.

I will try this, thank you! This is the 4th or 5th time I've tried to link it, don't know what I keep doing wrong.

 

[pevsfreedom]

I do have them, I've only used them once because it's the only time I caught him in the act, so to speak. Could his vomiting/regurgitation be from ketoacidosis? I can try to isolate him so I know the only urine in the box is his.

I always say this when people have more then one cat but you can buy blood ketone monitor's and strips. The monitor is about $35 and the strips are about $30 for 10. Much easier to test the blood than urine in a home with more cats I think.

 

[pevsfreedom]

I will try this, thank you! This is the 4th or 5th time I've tried to link it, don't know what I keep doing wrong.

I can see it as of right now.

 

[Squalliesmom]

I always say this when people have more then one cat but you can buy blood ketone monitor's and strips. The monitor is about $35 and the strips are about $30 for 10. Much easier to test the blood than urine in a home with more cats I think.

Thank you, I did not know that!

 

[BJM]

Yay! I can see the numbers!

 

[Critter Mom]

How long is Squallie going between meals? I ask because I've been reading over some of your threads and some of his clinical signs are very much in line with how Saoirse reacted when she was treated with Caninsulin (same as Vetsulin - different brand name). I found that if she went longer than about 3 hours or so without eating that she would vomit up either white foam or the browny liquid you describe above. It was caused by excess stomach acid irritating her empty stomach. Feeding small, regular meals solved the problem.

(BTW Saoirse was extremely lethargic when she first started on Caninsulin - worse than she had been prior to treatment - and she used to hide a lot, too, when it was active in her system.)

 

[Squalliesmom]

How long is Squallie going between meals? I ask because I've been reading over some of your threads and some of his clinical signs are very much in line with how Saoirse reacted when she was treated with Caninsulin (same as Vetsulin - different brand name). I found that if she went longer than about 3 hours or so without eating that she would vomit up either white foam or the browny liquid you describe above. It was caused by excess stomach acid irritating her empty stomach. Feeding small, regular meals solved the problem.

(BTW Saoirse was extremely lethargic when she first started on Caninsulin - worse than she had been prior to treatment - and she used to hide a lot, too, when it was active in her system.)

I try to see that he has small meals -nibbles, we call them, lol- throughout the day. But I have to be careful, he tends to be a little overweigt; also he likes his dry nibbles better than his wet meals, and I'm trying to wean him completely over to wet (not going real well). He seems to have stopped vomiting, for now. He also spent the first two weeks hiding, kind of scared me, but he doesn't seem to be doing that anymore, either, thankfully. He does sleep mostly all day, but he did that before, too. But he is actually playing again now, which he hasn't done in a very long time!

 

[Critter Mom]

I'm glad to hear that Squallie's not hiding any more. The vet did advise that it can take time for a kitty's body to adjust to the 'foreign' insulin, but it was very scary nonetheless. Caninsulin never agreed with Saoirse. It hammered her system most of the time. The few hours when the doses were at their weakest were when she was OK but she was poleaxed the rest of the time. As I said to my vet at the time, it was like having two cats. Thankfully she had a much better time of it on Lantus.

I take it that Squallie is a kibble junky. Saoirse was, too. (I followed veterinary advice that dry was better - WRONG!) With hindsight and with what I've observed since joining this forum I do think that between the insulin and the diet change it can be tough going on the tums of our little ones. The changeover can be tricky but there's good news to come: it should be much easier for you to manage Squallie's weight on the wet food. I've certainly found that to be the case with Saoirse. I bought an inexpensive digital baby scales to help me monitor her weight. Worth every penny.

Delighted to hear Squallie's playing. That's what this 'ere sugardance is all about.

 

[Squalliesmom]

I'm glad to hear that Squallie's not hiding any more. The vet did advise that it can take time for a kitty's body to adjust to the 'foreign' insulin, but it was very scary nonetheless. Caninsulin never agreed with Saoirse. It hammered her system most of the time. The few hours when the doses were at their weakest were when she was OK but she was poleaxed the rest of the time. As I said to my vet at the time, it was like having two cats. Thankfully she had a much better time of it on Lantus.

I take it that Squallie is a kibble junky. Saoirse was, too. (I followed veterinary advice that dry was better - WRONG!) With hindsight and with what I've observed since joining this forum I do think that between the insulin and the diet change it can be tough going on the tums of our little ones. The changeover can be tricky but there's good news to come: it should be much easier for you to manage Squallie's weight on the wet food. I've certainly found that to be the case with Saoirse. I bought an inexpensive digital baby scales to help me monitor her weight. Worth every penny.

Delighted to hear Squallie's playing. That's what this 'ere sugardance is all about.

What kind of wet food do you feed Saoirse? None of my guys seem to like any of the ones I've tried.

I just tested Squallie preparatory to feeding him his "wet dins", which he probably will only eat a mouthful of, and his BG is still only 158. I don't know what to do about his pm shot, 6-7 units seems like an awful lot of insulin if he's that low!

 

[Critter Mom]

I'm in the UK and I feed Saoirse Sheba Fine Flakes in Jelly poultry selection. She has chronic pancreatitis and it took me nearly a year to find a food that she could tolerate reliably. She was recently diagnosed with stage II CKD and the food is high in phosphorus but we're getting binders to address that problem. Not ideal, but sometimes the right food is the one that one's baby can eat. We went through goodness knows how many food trials before I landed on the Sheba.

With regards to the next insulin injection, take the preshot test and post a new thread asking for dosing advice. I know that you don't have much data in your spreadsheet yet but Squallie seems to like the lower dose better. How much does Squallie weigh? Has your vet given you any indication of any underlying condition(s) that might be driving the higher dose?

Are you able to monitor him right through the night? Does he have any history of ketones?

 

[Squalliesmom]

I'm in the UK and I feed Saoirse Sheba Fine Flakes in Jelly poultry selection. She has chronic pancreatitis and it took me nearly a year to find a food that she could tolerate reliably. She was recently diagnosed with stage II CKD and the food is high in phosphorus but we're getting binders to address that problem. Not ideal, but sometimes the right food is the one that one's baby can eat. We went through goodness knows how many food trials before I landed on the Sheba.

With regards to the next insulin injection, take the preshot test and post a new thread asking for dosing advice. I know that you don't have much data in your spreadsheet yet but Squallie seems to like the lower dose better. How much does Squallie weigh? Has your vet given you any indication of any underlying condition(s) that might be driving the higher dose?

Are you able to monitor him right through the night? Does he have any history of ketones?

No ketones and no underlying problems, as far as my vet can determine. He weighs about 13 3/4 - 14 pounds, and he is a little on the chubby side. Right now, my vet doesn't know I test him at home with a human glucometer, she doesn't approve :-(, wants me to buy a feline unit and do blood draws from a vein in his leg to test. Pfft! I will get the unit and use it once every week or so, so I have numbers to report back to her. Meanwhile, it makes thing dicey because I can't tell her if I reduce his dosage.
I can monitor him through the night if necessary, have done before!

 

[Critter Mom]

Once you build up the volume of spreadsheet data and show your vet that you're keeping Squallie safe using the human glucometer she'll have a job arguing against it. Vets worth their salt tend to get used to it as time goes by. At the end of the day, Squallie is your fur baby so you need to be comfortable with his treatment (and his testing method!). You're doing the right things to keep him safe.

7 units BID of Vetsulin is not insignificant dose-wise. As an in-out insulin, it is a little more flexible in use than the depot insulins (Lantus and Levemir) so it can be a bit more straightforward to tweak dosages. You haven't got much test data for evening cycles yet. Some cats run lower at night. I'd suggest posting a new thread asking for dosing advice. If you don't get any replies before injection time, the general rule of thumb here is not to give any insulin if the preshot blood test is less than 200 (ketone tendencies permitting) until such time as one has gathered enough data to know that a particular dose is safe. I don't feel comfortable with giving specific dosing advice (too worried about getting it wrong and something happening to the cat), but I am a naturally cautious person. If Squallie were mine I'd be very conservative with dosing, especially with Vetsulin because it can produce steep drops in BG at onset. I hope that helps you a bit. It's good that you can monitor through the night should the need arise.

I'm about to pass out (I have PTSD-related sleep problems). I hope you'll get additional advice before injection time. All going well, I'll check back tomorrow to see how you both got on.

 

[Squalliesmom]

Once you build up the volume of spreadsheet data and show your vet that you're keeping Squallie safe using the human glucometer she'll have a job arguing against it. Vets worth their salt tend to get used to it as time goes by. At the end of the day, Squallie is your fur baby so you need to be comfortable with his treatment (and his testing method!). You're doing the right things to keep him safe.

7 units BID of Vetsulin is not insignificant dose-wise. As an in-out insulin, it is a little more flexible in use than the depot insulins (Lantus and Levemir) so it can be a bit more straightforward to tweak dosages. You haven't got much test data for evening cycles yet. Some cats run lower at night. I'd suggest posting a new thread asking for dosing advice. If you don't get any replies before injection time, the general rule of thumb here is not to give any insulin if the preshot blood test is less than 200 (ketone tendencies permitting) until such time as one has gathered enough data to know that a particular dose is safe. I don't feel comfortable with giving specific dosing advice (too worried about getting it wrong and something happening to the cat), but I am a naturally cautious person. If Squallie were mine I'd be very conservative with dosing, especially with Vetsulin because it can produce steep drops in BG at onset. I hope that helps you a bit. It's good that you can monitor through the night should the need arise.

I'm about to pass out (I have PTSD-related sleep problems). I hope you'll get additional advice before injection time. All going well, I'll check back tomorrow to see how you both got on.

Thank you so much! I always err on the side of caution so I probably will just give his pm shot a miss for tonight. Hope you get your much-needed sleep! Best to you and Saoirse

 

[Critter Mom]

I'd still recommend you post a new thread asking for dosing advice. More experienced members might be able to guide you with respect to possibly giving some sort of token dose. As I said above, at least with an in-out insulin if you do need to skip an injection it's more forgiving than the depot insulins.

Wishing you both a safe and restful night.